Evan Longoria has been gradually increasing his workouts this week and his partially torn left hamstring has responded well enough that a minor-league rehab assignment is right around the corner.

Greg Zeck of MLB.com reports that Longoria could see his first game action as soon as Friday if he can avoid a setback while testing the hamstring by running Thursday.

Tampa Bay has handled Longoria’s absence well, going 20-17 without him in the lineup despite the third baseman getting off to an excellent start before the injury. Will Rhymes and Sean Rodriguez have been splitting third base duties in his place, so even if he’s less than 100 percent healthy initially Longoria will be a huge upgrade.